About Real Economy

Real Economy started out as a food cooperative and it continues this work. People place a weekly online order for food from our range of local and ethical producers. We receive the food from producers, sort it, pack it and distribute it to collection points around the city. We have recently begun home delivery in some areas.

But…over the years our thinking and practice have developed. We have always paid special attention to getting healthy food into areas of the city where many people are in difficult circumstances and this has developed into a plan for a network of Real Economy Centres, which we are now implementing. Each Centre will be focused on

We have become a charitable community benefit society in order to manage the work with our Real Economy Centres and are launching our own ‘Solidarity Fund’ to support the provision of food to our Centres.

We have also formed a trading company known as Real Economy Trading Company Limited which manages the sale of food. This trading subsidiary is owned by the charity and its profits go to the charity.

In order to comply with the new data protection regulations (May 2018) we are making available a privacy statement which details how we treat data.

Meet the Real Economy Team

Chris SunderlandExecutive Director

Delphine BriereOperations Manager

Delphine deals with the all management of our trading subsidiary: updating the website, liaising with producers and members, admin and accountancy…

Florence PardoeReal Economy Southmead Development Worker

Development worker at Real Economy Southmead Centre. Increasing access to healthy food, building community and re-imaging a better society with the people of Southmead.

Sian BrewerCommunity worker

Sian faciliates this Thursday group (10am-4pm), based at Feed Bristol, Frenchay. She recruits and supports volunteers (some of whom need additional support) to get involved in the work of the farm and also to cook a meal together for lunch. Volunteers on low incomes go home with a veg bag and real economy vouchers if they would like them.

Polly TurnillHub Assistant

Multi skilled and versatile, Polly is essential to the running of our shop. She takes great care of sending you your weekly orders.

Van ODDelivery

We’ve partnered with Van OD, a Bristol based delivery service, to deliver our orders out across the city.

Our Directors

Carol LaslettDirector

Ex-librarian, grandmother, urban goatkeeper, trying to change the world ( still !! ) ,growing veggies where ever I can!

Real Economy Solidarity Fund

The purpose of this fund is to pay for the supply of fresh, local and ethically sourced food to people in various forms of hardship through our Real Economy Centres. Those receiving the food will be participants in community activities at our Centres who are concerned about being able to afford food for themselves or their families. The development worker at each centre will be responsible for the distribution of food, working to sustain the highest standards of personal dignity for all members.